page_title: 2011–12 Birmingham City F.C. season
section_title: UEFA Europa League
hierarchical_section_title: 2011–12 Birmingham City F.C. season / UEFA Europa League
caption_attribution_description: English: Birmingham City F.C. supporters during the UEFA Europa League match vs NK Maribor at Ljudski vrt stadium in Maribor, Slovenia.
context_page_description: The 2011–12 season was Birmingham City Football Club's 109th season in the English football league system. It ran from 1 July 2011 to 30 June 2012.
  After relegation from the Premier League in 2010–11 under previous manager Alex McLeish, the team finished in fourth position in the 24-team Football League Championship under manager Chris Hughton, who was appointed in June. They lost on aggregate to fifth-placed Blackpool in the promotion play-offs semi-finals. Having won the 2011 League Cup, they qualified for the Europa League, in which they reached the group stage and finished third in their four-team group, only one point behind the two teams qualifying for the knockout rounds. In the 2011–12 League Cup, they were eliminated in the third round by Manchester City, and they lost to Chelsea in the fifth round of the FA Cup after a replay.
  Twenty-nine players made at least one appearance in first-team competition, and there were thirteen different goalscorers. Chris Burke, who received Birmingham's Player of the Season and Players' Player of the Season awards, played in 61 of the 62 matches over the season, scored 14 goals and made 19 assists.
context_section_description: The League Cup winners would normally enter the UEFA Europa League at the third qualifying round. However, because Manchester City both won the 2011 FA Cup and qualified for the Champions League via their Premier League finishing position, Birmingham entered the competition at the play-off round, one round before the group stages. They were drawn to play Nacional, who qualified as sixth-placed team in the Portuguese Primeira Liga and had beaten FH of Iceland and Swedish club Häcken to reach the play-off round.
  Weakened by injuries for the away leg in Madeira, Birmingham gave David Murphy and Nathan Redmond their first appearances of the season, defender Liam Ridgewell played in central midfield alongside winger Jean Beausejour and debutant Jonathan Spector, and 19-year-old Chris Wood played as a lone striker. Captain Stephen Carr was making his 100th Birmingham appearance. Early in the game, Curtis Davies made a well-timed tackle from behind to prevent Mateus opening the scoring. Midway through the half, Steven Caldwell's placed header from a corner struck the foot of the post. Just before half time, a loose ball fell to Wood on the edge of the penalty area and his powerful shot rebounded down off the crossbar and back into play. Just after the interval, a driven shot from outside the area from the 17-year-old Redmond, playing his first 90 minutes at senior level, was pushed aside by goalkeeper Elisson and returned to Wood who headed against the post. The game finished goalless. For the home leg, Birmingham had to widen the pitch from its usual 66 metres (72 yd) to 68 m (74 yd) to comply with UEFA regulations. After an uncertain start, Birmingham took the lead when Murphy fed Redmond who scored with a low drive from 20 yards (18 m). Nine minutes later, Murphy's header from a Beausejour corner appeared to come off both Luis Alberto and the crossbar before crossing the line. After numerous chances to increase the lead, including a curled shot from Redmond that hit the inside of the post, Wood's 84th-minute tap-in secured a 3–0 win and qualification for the group stage. With a couple of minutes left, Birmingham gave a debut to 18-year-old striker Akwasi Asante and a first appearance of the season for fellow teenager Jake Jervis.
  
  Birmingham were drawn in Group H, alongside last season's finalists Braga of Portugal, Slovenian champions Maribor, who beat Rangers of Scotland in the play-off round after losing in the third qualifying round of the Champions League, and fourth-placed Belgian team Club Brugge, who overcame Qarabağ of Azerbaijan and Georgian champions Zestafoni to reach the group stage. Matchday one produced a defeat at home to Braga. Hélder Barbosa opened the scoring after just six minutes with a volley from a Nuno Gomes cross which Boaz Myhill could only palm into the net, then Lima doubled the deficit against the run of play. Hughton introduced Chris Burke and Chris Wood, and Burke's pass led to Marlon King's 71st-minute goal. Birmingham were caught on the break while going for the equaliser, Barbosa making the final score 3–1 to the visitors.
  In the absence through injury of Carr for the visit to Maribor, Ridgewell assumed the captaincy. Early in the game, Maribor had several shots off target, but they took a 29th-minute lead when Spector looped a casual back-pass which Colin Doyle missed entirely when attempting to clear. Dalibor Volaš picked up the loose ball and tapped into an empty net. The manner of the goal had a dampening effect on both players and fans. In the second half, Nikola Žigić and Wood were ready to come on as substitutes when King used his strength to hold up a ball in midfield and played it through to Burke, who rounded Martin Milec and shot low past Jasmin Handanović. Only Žigić came on, to replace King. Both he and Wade Elliott missed chances, Žigić heading over the bar from close range and Elliott shooting straight at the goalkeeper when clean through. In the 79th minute, a long clearance was controlled by Morgaro Gomis who touched the ball to Elliott, possibly via a defender's arm. Elliot
caption: Visiting Birmingham fans during the club's first away appearance in group stage of the UEFA Europa League in 2011
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